"If two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves."

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Though these beautiful and spiritually encouraging verses from Ecclesiastes do not refer specifically to marriage, they provide the perfect model for the love and loyalty that a marriage is built on. Facing the world as a unit rather than a lone individual means that you always have someone there to pick you up, keep you warm, and help you defend against evil and hardship. For two people to know that they can rely on each other in such a way, however, requires rock-solid loyalty. But what does loyalty really mean for a marriage?

Loyalty: More Than Just Sexual Fidelity

One of the most important components of being loyal to your spouse is remaining sexually faithful to them. However, sexual fidelity is not the be-all and end-all of what loyalty means to a marriage. True loyalty must encompass all aspects of your lives together. Your spouse needs to know that they can always count on you and that they never have to worry about whether you have their best interest at heart.

Showing Loyalty to Your Spouse

So, other than not cheating on them, how do you show your loyalty to your significant other? Here are four easy tips that you can keep in mind as you go about your everyday life:

- Make your relationship a priority

A healthy marriage will allow you to make time for your friends and focus on your work, but you also need to be willing to put your marriage first when it requires your attention.

- Do not embarrass or belittle your spouse

Being loyal means always looking out for your partner's esteem, even when they are not present. Do not ever make a joke at your spouse's expense, and stick up for them if someone else does.

- Keep private matters private

A marriage creates a unique partnership which is exclusive to anyone else. Within this partnership your spouse should feel safe in the knowledge that private matters which should not be discussed with just anyone will be kept between the two of you.

- Seek input from your spouse on important decisions

Finally, true loyalty means including your spouse in important decisions that are going to affect your lives. Their opinions should never be brushed off or pushed aside, even if you do not happen to see eye-to-eye.

Next to love, loyalty is the most important component of any successful marriage. In fact, it is difficult to suppose how love could ever flourish and grow without loyalty to sustain and strengthen it. Make sure that your spouse always knows that your loyalty is true and unwavering, and they will never have any reason to doubt the sincerity of your love.

Spiritual Prayer

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.